{"id":1590,"date":"2011-12-26T14:55:55","date_gmt":"2011-12-26T14:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=1590"},"modified":"2015-09-29T17:46:03","modified_gmt":"2015-09-29T17:46:03","slug":"maidir-le-dreoilini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/maidir-le-dreoilini\/","title":{"rendered":"Maidir le Dreoil\u00edn\u00ed"},"content":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

L\u00e1 an Dreoil\u00edn sa Daingean<\/p><\/div>\n

Wren Day has become increasingly well-known outside of Ireland, ever since the Clancy Brothers recorded \u201cThe Wran (i.e. Wren) Song\u201d in 1955.\u00a0 Groups as diverse as Steeleye Span and the Chieftains have added to the musical legacy of the wren festivities.\u00a0 Well, festive for everyone except an dreoil\u00edn<\/strong>.\u00a0 Ar an dea-uair<\/strong>, the wrens in today\u2019s processions are either artificial or symbolic, but the original custom did include actual wrens.\u00a0 I think, though, that we need to look at the practice of hunting a live wren in the context of the times.\u00a0 In an era when rural dwellers constantly dealt with the life-cycle of animals and the realities of the food chain, it probably didn\u2019t seem as disconcerting.\u00a0 And if the custom is as old as it appears to be, perhaps pre-Christian, we could look at a lot of other life-and-death situations of the times and wonder why life was taken so casually.\u00a0 But suffice it to say here that in those days, the notion of quarry stretched far beyond wrens.<\/p>\n

As many of you know, the basic wren procession involved men and boys in handmade costumes, usually of straw (\u201cstrawboys\u201d).\u00a0 The Irish name for the strawboys, however, doesn\u2019t refer to straw, which would be \u201ctu\u00ed<\/strong>\u201d or \u201ccoch\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d or \u201csop<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s \u201ccleamair\u00ed<\/strong>,\u201d which could also be translated as \u201crompers\u201d or \u201cmummers.\u201d\u00a0 Nowadays, women and girls may participate.\u00a0 The group is sometimes called \u201clucht an dreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d (\u201cwren-boys,\u201d lit. the wren \u201ccrowd\u201d).\u00a0 They sang and played music, especially on easily portable instruments like the org\u00e1n b\u00e9il<\/strong> and the bodhr\u00e1n<\/strong>, and proceeded from house to house in their local community, performing and asking for money.\u00a0 The wren was displayed, often on a miniature beribboned funeral bier.\u00a0 The word \u201cdreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d is probably one of the most widely recognized Irish words, even in English speaking communities.\u00a0 It\u2019s sometimes anglicized as \u201cdroleen\u201d and most versions of the \u201cWran Song\u201d that I\u2019ve heard use both terms at different points in the lyrics: \u201cThe wren, the wren, the king of the birds\u201d and \u201cDroleen, droleen, where\u2019s your nest?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDroleen,\u201d as an anglicized Irish word, has its own interesting history.\u00a0 Droleen II is a 33.6 ft. yacht built in 1945.\u00a0 The British Classic Yacht Club description of it gives no hint as to why it was called Droleen II.\u00a0 Or what happened to Droleen I?\u00a0 If there\u2019s a luamhaire<\/strong> or d\u00edograiseoir luamh<\/strong> reading this, you\u2019ll find the mionruda\u00ed<\/strong> on Droleen II at http:\/\/www.britishclassicyachtclub.org\/register\/Droleen.htm<\/a>.\u00a0 Hmmm, ainmneacha b\u00e1d<\/strong> in Irish in general, even in anglicized Irish, now there\u2019s a topic in itself! \u00a0The British Classic Yacht Club also lists Talisker Mhor, Corrie, Huff of Arklow (huff?!), Kelpie, Rinamara (R\u00ed na Mara<\/strong>?), Cuilanaun, and Ceilidh Mhor.\u00a0 Lots of food for thought there!\u00a0 \u201cDroleen\u201d also occurs as a name for dogs (Milton Droleen, an Irish Terrier aka \u201cthe American Erin\u201d \u2013 whereby must hang a tail\/tale!) and horses (Cnoc na Droleen, not grammatically correct but c\u2019est la vie, and Glencairn Droleen; for the grammatical analysis of \u201cCnoc na Droleen,\u201d see below).\u00a0 There is also the Droleen Cup (Bray Sailing Club) but I can\u2019t find any background to that \u2013 thereto must hang a sail, or a sc\u00e9al<\/strong>, but n\u00edl na mionruda\u00ed agam<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But what about the word \u201cdreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d itself?\u00a0 C\u00e9n d\u00edochlaonadh?<\/strong>\u00a0 An bhfuil ciall ar bith eile leis? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d is a fourth-declension masculine noun, with the familiar \u201c-\u00edn\u201d<\/strong> suffix, used for diminutives.<\/p>\n

All the forms of this noun are fairly straightforward:<\/p>\n

An dreoil\u00edn<\/strong>, the wren; the same form is used for the possessive (mar shampla: cosa an dreoil\u00edn, cinni\u00faint an dreoil\u00edn,<\/strong> the feet of the wren, the fate of the wren)<\/p>\n

Na dreoil\u00edn\u00ed<\/strong>, the wrens<\/p>\n

Na ndreoil\u00edn\u00ed <\/strong>[nuh NROH-leen-ee], of the wrens (cosa na ndreoil\u00edn\u00ed, cinni\u00faint na ndreoil\u00edn\u00ed, srl<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n

\u201cDreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d is used in various phrases, e.g. dreoil\u00edn teaspaigh<\/strong>, grasshopper, lit. wren of hot weather, dreoil\u00edn ceannbhu\u00ed,<\/strong> goldcrest (the bird, aka \u201cgolden-crested wren\u201d), and dreoil\u00edn sp\u00f3irt<\/strong>, an object of ridicule<\/p>\n

Various related words also suggest silliness!\u00a0 For example, \u201cdreoileach\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d can mean \u201ca little wren\u201d or \u201ca silly wretch.\u201d\u00a0 And \u201cdreol\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d can either be an alternate spelling of \u201cdreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d or yet another word for \u201ca silly person,\u201d for which Irish already has a rich vocabulary, including \u201cglagaire<\/strong>,\u201d \u201cpleidhce<\/strong>,\u201d and the intriguing \u201cleathamad\u00e1n<\/strong>,\u201d a silly person, lit. a \u201chalf-fool,\u201d presumably in contrast to a full-fledged \u201camad\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d (fool).<\/p>\n

Ornithologically speaking, it\u2019s quite interesting that the wren is so celebrated, if infamously, in Irish tradition.\u00a0 Apparently, there are about 80 species of wrens, but only one of these is native to the Old World, the Eurasian wren.\u00a0 Although all the species are small in size, they are known for having disproportionately loud and complex songs.\u00a0 Perhaps that contributed to the notion of the wren as a betrayer, revealing the hiding place either of San Stiof\u00e1n<\/strong>, when he was i bhfolach<\/strong>, or of saighdi\u00fair\u00ed \u00c9ireannacha<\/strong>, who were then attacked by Uigingigh<\/strong>.\u00a0 Which reminds us of the original theme of the day and why the wren is singled out for the strawboys\u2019 attention.\u00a0 The San Stiof\u00e1n<\/strong> connection, of course, leads us back to the alternate name for this day, L\u00e1 Fh\u00e9ile Stiof\u00e1in<\/strong> (St. Stephen\u2019s Day), which is also alluded to in \u201cThe Wran Song\u201d: \u201c\u2026 on St. Stephen\u2019s Day, he was caught in the furze.\u201d\u00a0 And that may suggest another \u00e1bhar blag <\/strong>for the future — \u201cwhin\u201d do we say \u201cfurze,\u201d and \u201cwhin\u201d do we say \u201cgorse,\u201d and \u201cwhin\u201d to we say \u201cwhin\u201d?\u00a0 And how does \u201caiteann<\/strong>\u201d connect to all of those?\u00a0 Ach sin \u00e1bhar blag eile, ar nd\u00f3igh.\u00a0 SGF, R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gluais: d\u00edograiseoir<\/strong>, enthusiast; i bhfolach <\/strong>[ih WOL-ukh]; in hiding; luamh <\/strong>[LOO-uv], yacht;\u00a0Uigingeach<\/strong>, a Viking<\/p>\n

N\u00f3ta gramada\u00ed faoin bhfr\u00e1sa<\/strong> \u201cCnoc na Droleen\u201d: the word \u201cna<\/strong>\u201d would be used either if \u201cdreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d were grammatically feminine (which it isn\u2019t) or if it were plural, in which case it would have the \u201c-\u00ed\u201d ending.\u00a0 \u201cCnoc<\/strong>\u201d is \u201chill,\u201d so to say \u201cthe hill of the wren,\u201d it would be \u201cCnoc an Dreoil\u00edn<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 That could anglicized as \u201cCnoc an Droleen\u201d (not \u201cna Droleen\u201d).\u00a0 If we want to retain the \u201cna<\/strong>,\u201d the word for \u201cwren\u201d would have to become plural and it would take eclipsis (\u201cd\u201d changing to \u201cnd\u201d), which would probably end up anglicized as \u201cCnoc nan roleenee.\u201d\u00a0 And that looks to me like a situation where all three words would be run together, creating \u201cCnocnanroleenee.\u201d Which barely looks like even anglicized Irish to me, but sin sc\u00e9al eile<\/strong>.\u00a0 It would mean \u201cthe hill of the wrens,\u201d at any rate.\u00a0 The original \u201cd\u201d of \u201cdreoil\u00edn\u00ed<\/strong>\u201d would have become silent, since it was \u201ceclipsed.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact \u201cCnoc na Droleen\u201d is another example of hybridization when Irish words are used in an English-language context.\u00a0 \u201cCnoc<\/strong>\u201d is the actual Irish spelling of the word for \u201chill\u201d and is often, if oddly, anglicized as \u201cKnock\u201d (as in Knockmany, Knockmealdown, or simply Knock, Co. Mayo, the shrine site).\u00a0 Why do I say \u201codd\u201d?\u00a0 Because in Irish the initial \u201cc\u201d is pronounced like a \u201ck\u201d [cnoc<\/strong>, \u201cknuk\u201d], but we have to understand the initial \u201ck\u201d as silent in the English version [knock, \u201cnahk\u201d].\u00a0 Anyway, one might think that if \u201cdreoil\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d is going to be anglicized to \u201cdroleen,\u201d then \u201ccnoc<\/strong>\u201d would be also, giving us \u201cKnock an droleen.\u201d\u00a0 But it isn\u2019t, so once again, c\u2019est la vie.\u00a0 Ag an ainmneoir an t-ainm, is d\u00f3cha<\/strong>, which roughly means, \u201cto the namer (belongs) the name.\u201d\u00a0 I wonder what the horse would have to say about it, d\u00e1 mbeadh caint aige<\/strong>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) Wren Day has become increasingly well-known outside of Ireland, ever since the Clancy Brothers recorded \u201cThe Wran (i.e. Wren) Song\u201d in 1955.\u00a0 Groups as diverse as Steeleye Span and the Chieftains have added to the musical legacy of the wren festivities.\u00a0 Well, festive for everyone except an dreoil\u00edn.\u00a0 Ar an dea-uair, the wrens…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":1597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[111757,4062,4176,111761,111751,111749,111738,136704,111734,390471,390470,111735,111760,111737,111740,111754,390473,390474,111755,390472,111732,5551,5665,111758,111733,390469,111736,11,390468,111746,111741,111742,111750,111745,111744,111748,111756,111753,111752,111739,111731,111743,111759],"class_list":["post-1590","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-aiteann","tag-amadan","tag-anglicization","tag-bray","tag-chieftains","tag-clancy-brothers","tag-cnoc-na-droleen","tag-cochan","tag-dreoilin","tag-dreoilin-spoirt-dreoilin-ceannbhui","tag-dreoilin-teaspaigh","tag-droleen","tag-droleen-cup","tag-droleen-ii","tag-eurasian-wren","tag-furze","tag-goldcrest","tag-golden-crested","tag-gorse","tag-grasshopper","tag-hunting-the-wren","tag-hybrid","tag-ireland","tag-knock","tag-la-an-dreoilin","tag-leathamadan","tag-milton-droleen","tag-pronunciation","tag-san-stiofan","tag-sop","tag-st-stephen","tag-st-stephens-day","tag-steeleye-span","tag-straw","tag-strawboys","tag-tui","tag-whin","tag-wran","tag-wran-song","tag-wren","tag-wren-day","tag-wren-boys","tag-yacht"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1590"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7140,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions\/7140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}